Brussels, 08/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Joint Committees on transport and the free circulation of persons that were set up under the EU/Switzerland agreements (in force since 1 June 2002) met in Brussels for the first time on Friday. On transport, the parties discussed the setting up of a Transport Monitoring Centre to monitor changes in lorry transit through Switzerland following the implementation of the tax and quota system foreseen in the agreement. The Monitoring Centre's statistics will be used to determine new taxes on road transport from 2005 onwards explained the director of the Swiss Federal Transport Office Max Friedli. He explained to his European partners the plan to set up a system to drip-feed lorries that was unveiled by the Swiss authorities on 2 July. The Commission outlined its upcoming legislation in the transport domain, such as for charges for infrastructure and tunnel safety.
At the Free Circulation of Person Joint Committee, the deputy director of the Swiss Federal "Office des Etrangers", Dieter Grossen, said that during the first four weeks that the agreement was in force, almost 40% of the temporary residence permits and 50% of the five year permits foreseen for the last five months of 2002 had been used but argued that there was probably a catching up with companies and individuals waiting until the agreement came into force before requesting a Swiss residence permit. The Swiss delegation called for the working group on diplomas that had been set up by the Joint Committee to rapidly address the issue of the mutual recognition of architects' diplomas (not settled by the agreement).
European Parliament Plenary Session